How the BBC covered the unveiling of Akufo-Addo's statue

As part of his one-day 'thank you' trip of the Western Region, President Akufo-Addo presented a statue of himself at the gate of Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi on Wednesday, November 6.

This has caused some members of the public to respond.

Below is how BBC reported the news:

Uproar in Ghana after president unveils his own statue

After unveiling a statue of himself while on a tour of Ghana's Western Region, outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo has drawn criticism on social media. According to Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, the region's minister, the monument is meant to honor the development projects the president oversaw while in office.

However, a lot of Ghanaians have been making fun of its installation, which is outside a hospital in Sekondi, calling it "self glorification." Opposition MP Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah wrote on X, "The people of the Western Region deserve better than these self-serving displays." After two terms in office, Akufo-Addo has boasted that he has kept 80% of his commitments to Ghanaians. He will step down in January.

During his "thank-you tour" visit on Wednesday, he unveiled the monument, which is positioned in front of Sekondi's Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital. Darko-Mensah, who is in charge of the Western Region, highlighted a number of important projects that the president has started during the ceremony. However, the statue has drawn a lot of criticism, with some Ghanaians doubting its significance given the number of important projects that are still unfinished. "It would be admirable if the president had allowed posterity to recognise and appreciate his work," a user on X said.

After the president leaves office, some members of the public want the statue to be taken down, as images of it have gone viral. Some, however, saw it as a recognition of Akufo-Addo's contributions to the nation's progress, thus not everyone is critical. "He deserves this beautiful monument very well. The best president I have ever known. One individual said that Akufo-Addo was the "founder of Ghana's free education system" and that "Ghanians will miss you." The 80-year-old president has highlighted his program of eliminating secondary education fees as his "most significant legacy" while on tour.

His presence has also aided the ruling New Patriotic Party's (NPP) national campaign. There are 16 regions in the nation, including the southwest Western Region. In the general election scheduled for next month, the president urged the populace to support Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia, his deputy. Akufo-Addo stated that if he were elected, the NPP's programs and initiatives will continue. He will be the party's candidate. Former President John Dramani Mahama, who is running for reelection under the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), will be Bawumia's principal opponent.

One of the main campaign issues in Ghana, Africa's top gold producer, is the high expense of living.